A Different Choice
by MyId
Summary: What if Mulder had chosen the other cloth heart? (Paper Hearts)


Title: A Different Choice  
  
Author: MyId  
  
Spoilers: Paper Hearts  
  
Rating: PG to PG-13 ish  
  
Disclaimer: The characters you recognize are not mine, yadda yadda yadda. They belong to Chris Carter and Co. I just wanted to borrow them for a while. Thanks. XD  
  
A/N: Second story. Yay! Hope you like it. Oh and as before feedback is always welcome be they flames or compliments or indifferent responses. Thanky. And one more thing, I don't live in West Virginia or even the States for that matter so I would like to apologize ahead of time for any inconsistencies in regards to locations mentioned.  
  
*****  
  
LORTON REFORMATORY; LORTON, VIRGINIA  
  
"Pick her out. "  
  
"What?" Mulder looked at John Lee Roche, seated across from him. He knew what he meant yet still he asked, wanting to clarify.  
  
"You choose the one that was your sister, and I'll tell you where she is." He paused, gauging Mulder's reaction. "Hey, come on, it's a fifty-fifty chance." he slid the cloth hearts along the tabletop, positioning them parallel to each other. "Either way, I'm giving you a victim."  
  
Mulder considered his options and, carefully and deliberatly, he pointed to the heart on his right.  
  
Roche studied his face with an unreadble expression. "That one? You're sure you want that one?"  
  
Mulder looked up at Roche with a confused expression then glanced over his shoulder at Scully who was still glaring intently at Roche. It was Mulder's choice. Was he sure? No. He changed his mind and swiftly pointed at the other heart, the one to his left. It was soft, white flannel with a purple and pink paisley print.  
  
"That one then?" questioned Roche, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned.  
  
"Yes." replied Mulder quietly but firmly.  
  
"Kay. Yeah, that's a...a good choice. Okay you wanna write this down?"  
  
*****  
  
QUINCY PARK; PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA  
  
Mulder glanced around him, taking in the sights and sounds of the area. He bit his lower lip nervously. Scully walked up behind him.  
  
"He said she'd be here." he said, without turning. "By the playground, just ahead of of the trees. A straight line from the swings."  
  
"Are you ready?" Scully questioned.  
  
He paused, "Yeah."  
  
Mulder started off towards the trees with Scully three steps behind him. Kneeling down he started digging at random, indifferent to that fact that his Armani suit was not suited to this type of activity. After a moment he stood and went to another area., and again began clawing desparatly at the earth. Scully bent down beside him and set her hand on his shoulder trying to get him to listen to her, calm him down and talk some sense into him.  
  
"Mulder... let's get a team out here." she tried to catch his gaze but he was focused on the ground before him. She waited for a reaction, but none was forthcoming. "Let somebody else do this."  
  
Mulder gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head, "Help me, Scully."  
  
She looked over her shoulder then back at Mulder. She took her hand from his shoulder, and kneeling down as well, she began to dig. After a moment, their hands struck something soft. Material. Scully brushed the dirt away to reveal skeletal ribs covered in a thin layer of decaying flannel. In the center of the chest, there was a heart shaped cut-out.  
  
*****  
  
MORGUE; LORTON, WEST VIRGINIA  
  
Mulder stood beside the metal examination table, staring down at the small skeleton of a young girl. He didn't dare hope that the body was that of his sister. He didn't want it to be. He wanted closure, but this wasn't what he had expected. This wasn't in the job description. He looked at the pyjamas and took in the faded colour, the paisley pattern and stored it all in his eidetic memory, remaining as detached as possible. He ran his hand over the left collarbone...and felt a bump. Looking carefully he could see a faint crack and an imperfect alignment of bone. No, he thought. He ran his hand over it again. The break was still there, he wasn't imagining it. Mulder pulled some X-rays out of a folder and held them up to the light. There in the left collarbone, he could clearly see it had been broken. No, it couldn't be her. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.  
  
Mulder heard the door open behind him, and he quickly shoved the X-rays back into the folder haphazardly. He set it on the table and leaned against it, his head hanging in defeat.  
  
Scully came up to him, "Mulder?"  
  
"It's her Scully. Am I right?"  
  
"Mulder-"  
  
"Samantha broke her collarbone when she was six." he plunged forward, not waiting for Scully to respond. "It was her left collarbone. We had, we had a rope swing out in the backyard...Oh God." he finished, trailing off.  
  
"Mulder," Scully began again, "No, it's not her."  
  
"But the break. Who else-"  
  
"I took a bone marrow sample and took the liberty of checking her DNA against yours and your mother's, they were already on file." She continued to explain. "They don't match."  
  
Mulder turned to look her in the eye. "What."  
  
"It's not a match, Mulder. This isn't Samantha."  
  
Mulder turned back to the body and as a wave of relief rushed over him, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.  
  
"It's somebody, though." 


End file.
